Yes constant questioning is at the heart of scientific inquiry however deliberate obfuscation of established science for political and economic objectives is not scepticism but subterfuge.

...the woman cutting what is left of your hair leans in and says, 'Hold still Dear, I'm going to do your ears now."

Tis question is not exactly but largely analogous to the question : 'Do we self insure or purchase insurance'? The risk evaluation is complex and the answer is dependant on the a number of weighty factors not least of which is the amount of liquid assets available to address a catastrophic failure. Hire a risk analyst.

Whoop-tee shit! It's a stupid and desperate strategy precisely because most people will react as you did but nobody is trying to threaten or intimidate you, though they may be trying to shame or coerce you into engaging with your friends and neighbours in order to encourage them to engage in the political system. I think they are frustrated and grasping at straws because political discourse in the US has deteriorated to such an extent that the process has become mostly dysfunctional.

This is America! Be a good patriot/consumer and STFU! Corporation Banks and hedge funds are your betters and should be deferred to in all circumstances.

twaddle

My friends and I made a lot of black powder and various other explosives and propellants for rockets, fireworks and kinetic projectile delivery not to mention the the odd petrol bomb just for fun. The authorities were never involved.

My pocket knife.

We didn't see this coming. The future is here and it's not 'The Jetsons'.

say oops in Japanese?

Exactly - and who gives a fuck what a gaggle of farmers have to say? It's like listening to bunch of dogs analysing dog food.

It's not hatred mate... It's pity mixed with dismay about the state of education and social disfucntion engendered in such beliefs all expressed as what would be seen as good natured ribbing if the mistake being pointed at was hmm lets say mistaking Paris, Texas for Paris, France.

hmm - Money=Political Power in America ?
Money=Political Power=Money Everywhere

We can only, for your sake, hope that this is a failed attempt at sarcasm. If not, get a pet, perhaps a low maintenance one.

'Self made' is a myth, all of them had to first develop strong and binding connections with sources of capital, influence and discreet knowledge not their own. It is as much, and more in most cases, the cultivation of these relationships as it is their talents and vision that make for success.